Flexural and interfacial behavior of metallic beams strengthened by prestressed bonded plates

Closed form solutions for the flexural and the interfacial behavior of steel beams strengthened by prestressed bonded plates are presented. The method includes the shear deformation effect of the beam and is applied to three different load cases. The effect of different parameters such as the prestressing level, steel grade and geometric and mechanical properties of the plate on both the interfacial shear stress and the flexural behavior of the plated beam is discussed. The results show that while the geometric and mechanical properties of the plate have influence on the stiffness and the yield load capacity of the plated beam, prestressing does not affect the stiffness of the plated beam but increases the yield load capacity. The qualitative results of the analytical method presented in this paper are then compared with the experimental results of laboratory tests, which show good agreement between theory and practice. The experimental results show an increase in the yield and ultimate load carrying capacity of the beams strengthened by prestressed carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates.